In Animal Crossing, if a player leaves behind a fishing rod on Animal Island, the islander may use the fishing rod when it is given to them, though only on the Game Boy Advance. If used, they may catch either a Red Snapper or an Octopus, the latter of which could not be caught in the main game until Doubutsu no Mori e+.

The playermust not run when going after the fish or throw a snowball on water. This will scare it away, and they will not see it again. When they see the fish, they must cast the line out using the (A) button. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, it is also possible to fish by tapping the player or by tapping the water. The player should position themselves so that the float comes near the fish when it comes to a stop (change distance from shore, angle of casting, position). The fish, if it sees the bait, will attempt to nibble. Some fish nibble once then swim away, in this case you must recast the line. Otherwise, do not press (A) (or tap the screen) yet. Some Animal Crossing players keep their eyes shut and wait for the 'plop' noise, signaling a bite. When the player hears the 'plop' noise, the player must press (A), shake the remote, or tap the screen as soon as possible after the plop. In City Folk, the fish can only nibble 5 times, so if the fish has nibbled 4 times, the next nibble will be a bite. It is possible to draw the line too early, or too late. Regardless, the fish is now gone. Common fish like the Sea Bass do not need good timing, although it must be alright, in order to catch it. However, rare/expensive fish like the Blue Marlin require exact timing, so the player must keep their concentration when catching fish. Once the fish is caught the player will hold up the fish to show off and shout a catchphrase about the fish, then stuff the fish in their pockets.

The player should practice on the island, if the player is playing on Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and closes their eyes whenever the fish sees their bait. This way all the fish the player catches on the island, preferably on tours, are either all rare or the player must release them after. Also, when the player closes their eyes it helps the player concentrate more on the bait, and wait for the louder bobbing sound. After following this advice, the player should be able to catch every fish they see.

Silver Rod: This rod makes catching fish easier and can also be bought at Tom Nook's store. Although it is rarer, the silver rod can be bought for 500 Bells, the same as the fishing rod. However, the silver rod is not very rare in Animal Crossing: New Leaf; the silver rod is available for purchase in the Museum Shop for 600 Bells after the player has donated 50 fish.

Golden Rod: This rod makes catching fish even easier than with the silver rod. It can only be obtained by catching all 40 (AC), 56 (WW), 64 (CF), or 72 (NL) fish. For each game in the series, it will take a minimum of eight months (February to September) to catch all the fish without time traveling.

Most fish appear all day or all year, and there are some, like the sea bass that appear all day and all year. Some fish, however, appear only at certain times of the day or at certain times of the year, like the gar. Most fish either appear all day, between 4 AM and 9 PM, between 9 AM and 4 PM, or between 4 PM and 9 AM.

There are three items of trash. The can and boot are caught in the river, while the tire is caught in the river or the ocean. They serve no purpose. They cannot be sold to Tom Nook for a price, but he will dispose of them for free. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, trash must be disposed of at Re-Tail for a fee of 80 bells, unless the Trash Can public works project is built.

In Animal Crossing: City Folk, villagers may lose the key to their house. When fished out, it can be returned for a reward. If it is not found fast enough, the key will stop appearing, and they will get in by themselves.